Somebody, please listen to me
by bracketsspace space brackets
Summary: The Gintama cast has just finished their apparent 'final battle' between the Harusame and the protagonists. But after this, something has been troubling two characters. Or more. What happened after the battle?
1. Chapter 1

**Violence has and will always be the answer to everything, though not necessarily the right one**

The moon shone its gentle, golden glow onto the City of Eternal Night, Yoshiwara.

Or once known a City of Eternal Night. The city shone bright, amongst the darkness surrounding it. The calling of courtesans, the clatter of sandals and the constant chattering between it all. A single shapely figure walked through the bustling crowd, blowing out thin tendrils of smoke from her kiseru. She appeared to be calm, but her thoughts were turbulent and in turmoil.

The woman was truly a beauty to be marveled at. With her seemingly flawless white skin(upon closer inspection would reveal a some-what worrying grayish tinge due to lack of sunlight), her tall stature(combined with the elegance she presented herself in), the slender neck and the attractive attire she donned(a rather sexy black kimono with autumn leaves embroidered on the hem and sleeve), it would be surprising if men had not whispered compliments and the such about her.

The Moon of Yoshiwara and Kashira of the Hyakka, also better known as Shinigami Tayuu, Tsukuyo. Master in the arts involving the kunai, none in Yoshiwara could compare with her skill and subtleness. A fair woman, both physically and righteously, she had earned her reputation and respect from the courtesans regardless of her young age. An age, just right for beginnings of love and hints of marriage. Or so Tsukuyo thought she could sidle away from.

The courtesan wasn't sure of herself. Over and over again, wonderings spurred on by guilt that circled and coiled itself round her mind. Was this right, to be with him. Was it right, to allow herself to succumb to her deepest desires, to his wishes. Was it right to approach in his direction whilst reflecting on her own guilty pleasures.

How she wished she hadn't been caught up in this tangled love nest before. It had been almost four months since the police(aided by a certain group of freeloaders and a Joui terrorist to boot along with the head of the Hyakka) had clashed with the Harusame pirates. Three months since he had recovered fully from his injuries and one since… well, since then.

A month ago, Tsukuyo had been ambushed. There had been no warning what-so-ever and she was even with around half of the Hyakka force. But they were cunning. The Hyakka assumed it was another petty uprising from ronin unable to find a 'beautiful' courtesan for themselves, the courtesans were preoccupied with the recent disappearances of prostitutes in the area. How wrong and careless they were. It was a carefully drawn out and dictated plan. The vigilance had rendered about a third of the heretics helpless and the rest had begun to retreat. The Hyakka hated leaving unfinished business behind in Yoshiwara, so they went straight after them. The idea was ingenious, so malicious. Tsukuyo, of course, followed suit. Then, just as the women thought they had them cornered, the rest of the offenders showed up. They outnumbered the Hyakka by at least a double. Tsukuyo was fighting for her life, when something thudded into her abdomen. Before she fell unconscious, Tsukuyo just managed to catch a glimpse at what hit her. It was a syringe, filled to the brim with a clear liquid. After that she remembered nothing. Each member had to take on at least two opponents at once and during the chaos that ensued, no maiden saw their leader fall from that cleverly timed shot.

Seeing their target was down, the group lead an apparently hasty retreat. Even the proud women knew that to give chase was futile, they were too out numbered. But they would have given chase if only they knew that the men had Kashira. They silently returned to Yoshiwara and few noticed the absence of a familiar presence amongst them. By now the kidnappers had gone far, to the point of being right down the sewers of Kabukichou. This was an effective stashing space and was also used as a hideout for a gang of rapists. The same ones who had been abducting women from Yoshiwara. The same ones whom had Tsukuyo targeted from the start.

She was still out cold and was tossed into a cell once occupied by who-know-how-many courtesans before her. Deeper into the sewers, screams and pleas for mercy could be heard. They had broken another one and she would be ready for sale. This was a group of pimps who were not interested in the beauty of the women. They were satisfied by how submissive the women became after spending some 'quality time' together with her. After they had reduced her into a sniveling wreak, she would be sold. A simple but effective strategy. Violence has and will always be the answer to everything, though not necessarily the right one.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wallowing in shallow, pessimistic thoughts will not aid you in any situation**

Early morning sun filtered through the thin doors in Hino-ya.  
Yoshiwara was in a state of disorder. The Hyakka had come back to their home, to find that their leader was nowhere to be seen. The Hyakka had searched the scene of the fight, but there was no trace of her. When they came back, looking dejected, Hinowa had no choice but to call for the services of a certain broke samurai. Which was why a Sakata Gintoki trudged along the multiple pleasure stalls without having money for even a single drink. The last time that the Yorozuya had a job a distant past, unable to be conjured from the depths of even an elephant's memory. What a frightening past, shrouded with thick thorns preventing any escape from the horrors of poverty.

Gintoki continued to weave his way around Yoshiwara. He had originally wanted to bring along Kagura and Shinpachi, but Hinowa requested that he came alone and as quickly as possible. Now the Yorozuya boss was used to this kind of thing from Hinowa, but something had sounded a little strange. Something was off about her voice, so the perm-head drove his motorcycle to Yoshiwara as fast as possible. The call had come in the afternoon. Gintoki was almost at Hino-ya by now and the heat of the sun beating at his back was becoming a little unbearable. The sun. For a fraction of a second, Gintoki paused. Then turned to face the glare. Shielding his eyes from the searing glow, a memory resurfaced from many others after being buried for quite a while. First an image of the same piercing light on a group of courtesans, then one of a beautiful women blocking out the relentless blaze for an old man resting on her lap. Gintoki shook his head to clear himself of these thoughts and took a left to find his destination surrounded with the entire Hyakka force.

"What the heck is going on down here?" murmured the samurai  
Gintoki proceeded to draw closer to the crowd. "Did Hinowa or Tsukuyo finally find a husband?"  
"Or did a bunch of fervent lovers get their butts wiped by those monsters?"

Just then a thought struck him.  
It was as plain as day, that Tsukuyo had always felt a little affection for him(there, he swiveled around uncomfortably in case she could sense him), but what if. What if the Hyakka were against that and had blackmailed Hinowa into calling him up alone to face them all? What would poor(in both ways), defenseless Gin-san do against those horrific numbers. What cruel women.  
Losing all sense of dignity in fear of ambush, he fled back to his retreat on the left alleyway. At least, he would've if he hadn't felt something bump against the side of his fluffy head whispering "We found you..."

Gintoki had heard quite a few horror stories from Yoshiwara reported faithfully from his own gang, one in which involved a perverted man groping an innocent women whom then impaled with a thousand thorns(something about that story sounded familiar) before being thrown to eat dirt and was dragged off by her and cursed to become orange pulp. Another involved a man who acted like a fool and when he tried to sort his papers, he ended up finding a severed head in its midst. Terrified, he let out a blood-curdling scream and passed out. If he hadn't screamed, the Hyakka would've probably never found him. At the point Gintoki screamed, at least one other 'attacker' yelled out in shock. That was Shimura Shinpachi. Eighth and always eighth. Next to him, was a pretty pale skinned girl in Yato clothing. The adorable Yato, Kagura from the strongest race in the universe(Gintoki did not fall unconscious from terror, when he screamed, Kagura happened to slam her practically unbreakable purple umbrella on his head). So that was how the Hyakka found them, Kagura attempting to kick Gintoki off into the corner, Shinpachi still shouting and Sadaharu sitting there calmly, totally unnoticed by the force.

* * *

The world felt unstable and she felt groggy, as though she had just finished drinking a barrel's worth of alcoholics and slept on rock. Not that it made much of a difference, her 'pillow' was just as comfortable and apparently good for her health. Tsukuyo attempted to rise, but found she was swatted and bound in a mixture of thick rope and heavy chains. What was she doing here again? Her head throbbed and her limbs were stiff. The cold, merciless chains pressed up against her skin, making it a little difficult to breath. That was when something struck her as odd, even in her weakened state.

Pressed up against her skin?

With the worst in mind, she shifted herself into a position in which she could view herself in. She groaned as she saw the worst, what she had expected. Someone had removed her garments and left her almost totally naked, with only her undergarments. Though with her mind still confused, slowly, fragments began to piece themselves together, forming a picture. The 'small' fight. The syringe impaled in her stomach. Tsukuyo felt a little queasy, remembering the grotesque men whom she had been fighting, she hurled up alkali bile that only contributed to her feelings of impending doom. She had never allowed something like this to happen before. It had been the unthinkable, that the Kashira of the Hyakka had been caught and chained like a disobedient domestic pet.

She must not wallow in these shallow, pessimistic thoughts. She had to figure a way to get out, to alert Yoshiwara of them and she needed to destroy this syndicate. But if she called the Hyakka after escaping, there could be unnecessary injuries for them. It was best if she dealt with them herself, kept to herself and returned with the Hyakka to append them. Tsukuyo considered that option briefly though before she could make up her mind, a cheerful jingle of metal against metal sounded, then clanged against the other side of the forbidding cell door.


	3. Chapter 3

**Don't get your balls minced**

When Gintoki woke up, he was totally soaked with a slippery, cool liquid clearly thrown inconspicuously and silently as to not attract attention.

He started his day again, with a simple "Oi, what did I do to deserve that?"  
A pretty face framed with long, jet black hair that was done up came into view, holding a bucket full of a purplish ooze that clung stubbornly inside the container and on his disastrous silver locks.  
"Gin-san, I'm almost certain that I asked you to come running to me as quickly as possible, not falling unconscious just around the corner before for even get here." Teased the gentle voice of Hinowa, highest ranking courtesan of Yoshiwara.  
Gintoki fingered his now dripping hair. " What is this stuff? Personal lubricant? Minced b…"  
What sort of mince it was, Hinowa never found out. Just then, Shinpachi thwacked Gintoki's head with a ladle, obviously the most sophisticated of actions at the time.  
"Hinowa-san, I'm sure that Gin-san is just confused." Started Shinpachi.  
Shinpachi continuing heatedly, "You see, he's just woken up, so he'll be in the wrong state of mind, right Kagura-chan?  
He turned around and began to gesticulate wildly to Kagura, being as discreet as he possibly could.  
The heroine of Gintama stoutly jabbed her left pinky finger up her right nostril, exploring the crevices of Truth before bringing out a body. She pursed her lips and blew him away to join his brother.  
"Gin-chan's was never in the right state of mind to begin with, idiot Shinpachi." She pronounced ingenuously.  
He returned the adorable amanto's remark with a scowl. She had to learn about manners when referring to Gin-san in front of others and even in public.  
"Oi, is this what you tell a handsome man when he's back from beyond? Never in the right state of mind, eh?" An expression of total disbelief on Gintoki's face after hearing Kagura's passing comment. How dare she insult him like this after he had been attacked and nearly killed by restless spirits.

Sadaharu yawned loudly in the corner of the room.

"Gin-san, we saw everything." informed Seita. "You just got thwacked on the head with Kagura-san's umbrella, didn't you?"  
There was a pregnant pause.  
"SHUDDUP BRAT, I DO WHAT I LIKE!"  
"Gin-san, you can't say these kind of things in from of Hinowa-san!"  
"You're reply doesn't even answer the question, Gin-chan."  
"Gin-san, you don't need to hide it you know, the Hyakka, Seita and I saw everything."  
"I was just telling the truth to Gin-san, right everyone?"  
"Seita-kun, don't listen to Gin-san."  
"Pattsuan, are you agreeing that Gin-chan was never right in the mind to begin with?"  
"Kagura-chan, I don't think that Shinpachi-kun was referring to that just now."  
"HEY, DON'T IGNORE ME! I JUST ESCAPED DEADLY ASSASSINS! DEADLY! I COULD'VE DIED!"  
"Gin-san, it's okay."  
"Please don't pretend that Seita-kun is wrong, Gin-san."  
"Gin-chan, everyone gets embarrassed once in a while if they're wrong, even Sadaharu."  
"If it's alright with you, Gin-san, I might ac…"  
"DON'T PATRONISE ME LIKE SOME KID WHO GOT CAUGHT BY HIS MOTHER STEALING LOLLYPOPS FROM A STORE!"  
"Gin-san, I wanted to sa…"  
"WHAT DO YOU WANT NOW? POOR GIN-SAN'S BEEN GANGED UP ON! SOMEBODY, HELP ME!"

A bucket flew in Gintoki's face.

Hinowa clapped her hands.  
"Gin-san." She repeated, this time without the humor in her blue eyes.  
Hinowa took a breath before asking "What struck you as strange just now, when everyone was arguing?"  
"Everyone was ganging up on me." He replied distractedly, trying to dispose of the trail of something stuck on his fingertips. That was going to be Gintoki's initial response, until a thought really did strike him as odd. A bucket. The time it took for the exchange to resolve itself. Something was amiss.  
Seeing realisation dawning in his eyes, Hinowa prompted him "Who usually ends pointless talks like this?"  
"Could it be…?" Kagura and Shinpachi still looked confused, as Gintoki furrowed his eyebrows.  
He shook his head "No, it couldn't possibly be them."  
The other two Yorozuya members finally caught up.  
"Where is…"  
Gintoki interrupted with "Ken-sa…"  
Kagura and Shinpachi harshly slapped Gintoki simultaneously.  
"Where's Tsukki?" Sobbed Kagura. She was quite fond of Tsukuyo and appreciated her help in subduing Gintoki at the best times. Likewise, Shinpachi had liked Tsukuyo because she was so deadpan most of the time and assisted him in(some) times of need.

"There, there," Soothed Hinowa "That's why I asked for Gin-san to come alone."  
"Hinowa-san, you did this so we wouldn't get worried?" Wondered Shinpachi "Thank you for being so considerate to us all the time."  
Kagura blew her nose on the blanket from the futon Gintoki was resting on. "Is Tsukki alright?"  
"I'm not sure, Ka…"  
"Tsukki's not sick, right? Her organs aren't being vomited out, right? She's not pregnant, right?" Blabbered Kagura.  
A vein pulsed on Shinpachi's forehead "WHAT SORT OF THOUGHTS ARE YOU THINKING? AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WHO DID YOU LEARN THAT FROM!? THE ORGAN THEORY!"  
"Gin-chan said that."  
"… Kagura-chan, please don't listen to him." Replied Shinpachi "So, Hinowa-san, what's wrong with Tsukuyo-san?"  
Hinowa frowned "To be honest with you all, I'm not sure if she's gone on purpose or not."  
"What happened to her?" Scoffed Gintoki "Sleeping with men, eh?" He smirked.  
"Probably ran off, that always happens in the end." Finishing off his deductions with gusto. "That's solved, so I want my one billion transfer completed by the end of the day, thanks for hiring the Yorozuya." He started to leave.  
"Gin-san, there was a fight." He stopped.

_Tsukuyo watched as the door creaked open._

"Tch, no-one can beat that monstrosity." Continuing on his way.

_Two heavily build masked figures were dragging a dark-haired courtesan in._

There was a flurry of movement and sound.

_One man looked at her._

"Please, we're begging you."

_You're next._

Gintoki looked back and saw something horribly twisted.

_They threw the unconscious women onto the floor._

The Hyakka, all with their heads bowed to him.

_Don't bother resisting, or we'll make you regret it._

"We're almost certain someone took her in the battle." Whispered one courtesan.

_Tsukuyo gazed at the twitching figure._

"We were out numbered drastically and we couldn't find her after reaching Yoshiwara."

_There were marks, scars, all over her skin._

"We were tipped off, that a syndicate has been targeting Yoshiwara for months."

_Fist, nail, tooth and knife._

Gintoki didn't reply.

_The courtesan's remaining clothes were tattered and filthy._

Kagura and Shinpachi looked horrified.

_The men wordlessly began to unshackle her._

"Please, find her."


	4. Chapter 4

**Something you expect the least usually hurts the most**

He scratched his head questioningly and squinted up at the blinding shimmer.

"What do you want me to do about it?" He said, appearing to be supremely unconcerned. After all, she was always getting into scraps like this and should learn to look both ways before crossing the street. He, Sakata Gintoki, was finished with saving the same women over and over again. Taking the kunai from Housen, rescuing her from Jiraia, easing her worries about her face, ignoring her in the popularity poll, saying nothing about Valentines day, feigning ignorance when the Shogun came to the pool, taking on her scandalous behavior when he had to share a house with multiple women, enduring her attacks when he was working as a host, saving her from certain death as let down her guard due to concern for his injuries, covering up whilst teaching Seita history and many other times. He had enough.  
"Okay, Kagura, Shinpachi, we're going home now." He concluded "You can leave the dog behind if you want, it can replace Tsukuyo."  
Something positioned itself on his back "Are you just going to leave her, Gin-san?"  
"Gin-chan, are you going to run with your balls between your legs?" Murmured Kagura darkly "Tsukki might act tough, but I think she's doing it for us."  
Shinpachi gritted his teeth "If you don't want to look for Tsukuyo-san, we will."  
Gintoki coughed up phlegm and spat "Do what you want," He scratched his nose "Just don't expect me to do anything."

* * *

He was determined to stay away from Tsukuyo.

Ever since the Harusame was sent off, leaving Gintoki behind with deadly injuries. The Yato and Shinpachi had been left behind, with no way to rescue him, until Tsukuyo offered a hand and carried Gintoki to Yoshiwara. She tended to the Yorozuya first, allowing her own wounds to become infected in the process. When he regained consciousness, Gintoki was enraged that she put him in front of her, the life was bleeding out of Tsukuyo. There was not enough medication to go around. Tsukuyo was still hurt. Even after three months of recovery time, she was still limping around disregarding her health. Still patrolling about, despite Hinowa's and the Hyakka's concerns.

Why should he care, that she was hurting herself more by pushing and stretching herself? Doing this just to impress him. It irritated him, that she was breaking promise to herself, to her teacher and her home. That she was falling in love and was doing nothing to stop it. Tsukuyo spoke differently to him now. She acted more feminine, showed off her lascivious body and was sweeter to him. Everything was wrong. He wanted the old Tsukuyo back, not another stalker, not a prissy women and not someone whom his deepest desires were of. His most fervent dreams and darkest secrets were all for her. He could not bear to accept a women so clearly superior to him. Tsukuyo deserved better than a broke bastard like him.

Gintoki sighed as he saw the Yorozuya sign and Tama, the poster cyborg approach him with her mop raised.  
He had no money for this month's rent.

* * *

His tone told a tale of finality. With this, he truly left Yoshiwara. Kagura, Shinpachi and Sadaharu scowled at the retreating back of their usually faithful boss. Not this time. Shinpachi simply could not understand why Gintoki refused to help someone in need. Kagura knew that the arrogant man 'running away' was just another feigned attempt to save Tsukuyo himself. Furthermore, she was almost certain he did have a place in his heart for Tsukuyo. At times she could not sleep, Kagura often heard Gintoki muttering and twisting in his sleep. The dreams must have been horrible. He cried out sometimes, she heard familiar names and strange ones. When it became too much and the yells took a turn for the worst, Kagura would shake Gintoki awake, on the pretense of insomnia. Only once, did she catch a glimpse of his eyes before he composed himself. They were haunted and uncertainty was glazed in them. After, he would get a grip and shout angrily at her. Yet, no matter what he said, Kagura always heard an underlaying tone of relief in his voice.

She had not told him what she heard some nights. But Shinpachi found out soon enough. One morning, when he discovered Kagura sobbing next to Gintoki thrashing wildly in his futon.  
She told him "Always the same thing, always the same…"  
Shinpachi calmed her down "Kagura-chan! Wh-what happened?" and asked her to explain.  
"Gin-chan's always saying that he'll protect everyone." She managed.  
The newcomer nodded encouragingly to the crying girl "Gin-san does say that, Kagura-chan."  
"H-he said… Gin-chan said I'll s-save you this time… I'll definitely save you." The Yato girl blew her nose on her nightgown.  
With a heavy heart, he urged "Kagura-chan, who does Gin-chan want to save?"  
"Al-always. Always sensei." Biting her trembling lip. She lied there. But Shinpachi did not need to know that he was talking about them. Shinpachi was not to know that someway through, he choked out "Tsukuyo… I can save you."

* * *

Tsukuyo bit a captor's finger when it came near.

She knew that even if she didn't fight, her fate was inevitable. So why not rebel while she could? Being docile wouldn't make a difference at this stage. Meanwhile, the man in the orange and white mask howled in pain and clenching his fists, he aimed for her. Tsukuyo watched unflinchingly. However, the other person in the blue and black mask, held the attacker back. She allowed no emotion to show through her face, making it unreadable. Inside, she wasn't sure why the dark-masked person had stopped the light-masked man from making contact.

"Don't do that." Croaked the defending man. "There's always another way."  
The other snarled "What do you want to do with her then?"  
A ghost of a smile was seen from the hole for the blue-mask's mouth "Blindfold her, then we can play until the boss comes."  
Tsukuyo could feel herself paling. The dread in her heart was beginning to take to new heights.  
The orange man did not sound certain "The boss told us to keep her exclusively for him, though…"  
"Why does it matter?" Snickered the obvious sadist "He won't be back for another few hours."  
"It does matter." Retorted the some-what sadist "There's another prostitute on the rack right now."  
She watched the two stonily as they debated over whether or not to have a time with her now. She couldn't care less. Only a little regret lingered in the back of her mind, that she wasn't able to meet him since he'd left. When the keys rattled again.  
The door slammed open. She flicked her gaze behind the argument. One man stood ahead of a whole legion. All were masked, like the two in the room.

"If there's another prostitute on the bed now…" Purred a silky voice that sent involuntary shivers down Tsukuyo's spine "Then we give this lovely specimen a live demonstration for what goes on, hm?"  
The men, stationary now, replied tremulously "Yes sir, of course." They got down to their knees and bowed "We'll chain her again and bring her to the viewing platform."  
"Men, please call her by her name, which might be…"

The leader removed his colourfully patterned mask and made eye contact with her. Though still in the shadows, Tsukuyo's eyes widened. The voice was unnatural. Her lavender eyes widened and her pupils contracted as she swore she saw the flash of crimson eyes. The hint of messy, silver permed hair. That shadow of an annoying smirk on his face. The sight of him caused her to betrayed her vow of silence, nothing mattered now Tsukuyo saw him.

"Gintoki."


	5. Chapter 5

**Sometimes, even the stupidest mistakes can be beneficial**

'Gintoki' replaced his mask on his shadowed face, but not before she saw that unnerving, knowing smile.

She was in disbelief, that he was the one who planned and wanted her capture. That he was responsible for the women disappearing from Yoshiwara. It was far-fetched and unbelievable. Yet so very plausible. Gintoki knew his way through Yoshiwara, because she had taken him through the nooks and crannies for hiding, spying and ambushing. He knew, the Hyakka patrol schedule, she herself had shown it to him when he last came. He knew, where the blind spots of Yoshiwara were, because he had found a couple himself aided by her. Most importantly of all, Gintoki knew that the Hyakka force was lacking, still requiring recovery time after the vast betrayal and turnabout at Housen's palace.

"So, Gintoki… what a nice name you have." Hang on a second. Gintoki? Did he just call her Gintoki?  
He grinned as she gaped at him "Gintoki, you are very lucky, we're taking you on a grand tour in our beloved hideout"  
Gintoki? He'd said it again. What was going on? Was he humoring her? This was the least funny scenario she had ever been in. What the heck was he going to do with her? Did he want to test his thing on her? Like she would let him.  
"Don't worry, we promise that we'll take exceptional care of you." Then it became crystal clear. 'Gintoki' had asked for her name. In her surprise and moment of confusion, she had not answered the question, but had instead whispered his name. Tsukuyo was also aware that 'Gintoki' was a name that could work for both genders, it was neutral. Another possibility hit her just then. She had been shot with some projectile, maybe it was a drug. Tsukuyo could be hallucinating.  
Steeling her resolve she spoke to him "Does it make you feel better, knowing that you'll come to save me?"  
'Gintoki' looked unfazed. He curled his lip back and spread his hands out mockingly.  
"Save you, eh?" He shook his head in overly exaggerated motions "What do you think I am?"  
Tsukuyo decided to play out her trump card "An illusion of somebody I know and trust." Confidence was essential, she had to look like she was still in control despite how shaken she felt. She needed to buy some time for herself to escape.  
'Gintoki' raised his eyebrows at her "You definitely caught up faster than most" He leaned in closer to her, in a most out of character like style "I'm glad you know what you're doing, but you won't fool me."  
Tsukuyo wrinkled her nose, his breath smelled of alcohol and he emitted an odor of sweat. Looking at him now, he was much too heavily built to be Gintoki and he didn't have that distinctive sarcastic tone to his speech.

It became too obvious that he was an impostor. She just had to fight her emotions and believe the real Gintoki would never do this.

Tsukuyo did have to give the gang some credit, everything was strategically planned out and she would have become enveloped by the plan had 'Gintoki' not given himself away. Her attention was drawn away from her thoughts when a strong hand gripped her chin and forced it up to meet the masked face.  
"Miss, you really are a beauty, but you shouldn't fool a strong man like me with webs and lies." He spoke seductively, but it failed to sway Tsukuyo. She had managed to convince herself that most men were disgusting, deceiving creatures. There were, of course, exceptions for those who did not seem that bad. Like the Shinsengumi she had met once or twice. And Yagyuu Kyuubei, whom considered themselves as a man. Tsukuyo respected Kyuubei greatly, for the ability to accept and abandon gender on any occasion. Now to deal with the issue she was at here. She had been cuffed, once more but her legs were free to move. Tsukuyo noted that she still possessed her fishnet leggings and her high-heeled boots. So she made a split-second choice between stay put and attack. She kicked the already straddled apart legs of the dopplegänger, who literally sprang up and bellowed.

"Bring her to the platform." He panted heavily from the extenuating pain experienced in the crotch area.

* * *

Kagura and Shinpachi stopped for a break in the sweltering heat down in Yoshiwara. Since Gintoki had left them alone, they had run all over the sex district in hopes of finding hints or clues on the whereabouts of the blond women. The two had wanted to bring Sadaharu along with them, but due to his large size, he scared courtesans and their customers and had to be left at Hino-ya. Tsukuyo had been missing for a day now. They could only hope that she was still safe. Fat chance of that, as the Hyakka had failed to find her in the surrounding areas. Shinpachi had suggested that they should search outside of Yoshiwara, but Hinowa had forbidden them to do so in case they got injured. Kagura requested that no pay is to be required, because of the appalling behavior of Gintoki, but Hinowa had dismissed that too. She said that the effort counts and she would provide lodgings for the two during their search.

"Shinpachi, do you think Tsukki's going to be okay?" Said Kagura worriedly. She broke off a trail of sweat running down her forehead. Her umbrella was very useful on this sunny day.  
The stand removed his soul for cleansing on a bolt of fabric "Kagura-chan, if we keep on dwelling on thoughts like this, nothing good's going to come to Tsukuyo-san."

The two were silent for a while. Streets that seemed to stretch on forever were filled with prostitutes and buyers, despite the hotness and crowds. But when night fell, the rowdier men would approach Yoshiwara and knock themselves out on perhaps multiple women. For now, the absence of the night insured safety for most and it was jubilant all around.

"Shinpachi," Interrupted Kagura after the brief silence.  
He turned to face her "Yes, Kagura-chan?"  
"I'm thirsty."  
Shinpachi sighed, but since he was feeling a little parched too, he headed in the direction of the nearest drinks store. He bought two sodas and they sipped them in the shade of the stall. The shopkeeper offered them a sex toy as an extra but they declined the offer hurriedly. Throwing the wasted cans into the trash, the two sprinted off to resume their hunt.

* * *

Gintoki was running for his life. Fire was just centimetres away from his heels and he sprinted the corner, only to find a dead-end. He gulped and perspiration trickled from the ends of his permed head. He was doomed. A mechanical whir sounded behind him, taking a deep breath, he turned to face the pursuers. Up front, was the dreaded robotic maid of death and lined behind her was the notorious cat-demon, Catherine. They served under the most chaotic demon in existence, the Empress Otose of the rent collection for the Yorozuya.

"Gintoki-sama," Came the voice of the first enemy "Please pay your rent overdue for a period of forty two plus months."  
The terrifying cat-hag spat at him "Sakata-san, there's no escape this time."  
"Failure to repay fees shall result in suspension of home for a period of a total five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes."  
Catherine sneered at him "I'll look after your house for you in the meantime and distribute all your pornographic materials."  
"Gintoki-sama, you have a total of five seconds to pay your rent."  
He said nothing in response to them.  
"Five,"  
He stood his ground.  
"Four,"  
The cat-eared women screeched with amusement.  
"Three,"  
Gintoki griped his bokuto.  
"Two,"  
He shifted his weight ever so slightly to his back foot.  
"One,"  
Gintoki felt his muscle tense.  
"Ze…"  
He rammed his sword into the wall, used it as a foothold, retrieved it and sped away. Gintoki could still hear the flamethrower activating itself in Tama's mop.

Gintoki felt almost as though fate herself was keeping him from returning home. All he wanted to do was go to that secret spot in there and ease some money out for a strawberry parfait drizzled with chocolate sauce and play a game or two a pachinko. No chance of returning to that fortress now. Gintoki passed his hand along his hair half-heartedly and sighed. It came to mind that his motorcycle was at Gengai's place, meaning he could explore Kabukichou in a little more depth. Since he had a couple of days to himself, why not try to find that irritating woman, Tsukuyo?

* * *

She saw no point in struggling against so many armed and dangerous men. But Tsukuyo did raise a protest when they tried to force some bluish liquid into her. They pinched her nose until the need for air became too great and in the drink went. She felt woozy after ingesting it. They blindfolded her and carried her off to some untold direction(losing her sight was a serious disadvantage for her and being drugged did not help), opened multiple doors, crashed into other members(this meant the passageway must be narrow) and dropped her several times.

By the time she was set down on another cold metal floor, she could barely keep her eyes open out of introduced exhaustion. Tsukuyo was once again unchained and this time they also removed her boots to avoid any future attacks on sensitive spots. She winced slightly every time they 'accidentally' touched her thighs and nearby areas. Any attempts to move her limbs went with no avail, her body disobeyed any orders from her brain. Tiredness seemed to want refugee in her body, but Tsukuyo did her best to stay awake for as long as she could. Observing was her key to freedom here, she told herself stubbornly. Sleep continued to try to coax her to close her eyes, sink into the depths of it… On the verge of closing her eyes, Tsukuyo snapped to attention immediately and bumped her head against the forbidding cell door.

"I can't fall asleep, I can't fall asleep…" She muttered to herself "I can't…"

Little did Tsukuyo know, that she was not facing the direction in which the famed 'bed' was in. There were metal bars planted firmly in front of her, that allowed her to do her 'observing' of the current poor woman being tortured on the stand. Her continuous moaning and occasional screams were not enough to penetrate Tsukuyo's quickly dulling mind.

* * *

Hinowa looked up at the starry night sky. Kagura and Shinpachi had yet to come back. Seita was already in bed and she was quite worried about the two. She was going to dial for the Hyakka when Sadaharu suddenly rose from his head on his paws and wagged his tail excitedly. The outlines of the two were approaching the tea shop. Hinowa suppressed a sigh of relief and wheeled forward to meet them.  
"Hinowa-san, sorry we're back so late." Apologised Shinpachi breathlessly "We thought we'd found a lead for Tsukuyo-san, but it turned out to be a misunderstanding."  
Kagura happily embraced Sadaharu, unmindful of his staggering weight "Shinpachi said it would be best if we came back for today, to rest for tomorrow and to make sure that you're not worried."  
Hinowa smiled at the teen's thoughtfulness "Well, I'd be surprised if you had eaten, so I saved some dinner for the two of you." She looked over at Sadaharu "I'm afraid he'll have to stay outside tonight, but Kagura-chan will share a room with me while Shinpachi and Seita will have another."  
"Oh, thank you Hinowa-san," Shinpachi shot a look at Kagura "What do you say?"  
Kagura glared back at Shinpachi "Don't tell me what to do, glasses and I don't think I need to say thank you because we were hired for a job anyways."  
"That doesn't mean you don't thank the person who's letting you stay, right?"  
"Stupid Shinpachi…" Kagura shook her head disapprovingly "Where I come from, you have to fight with tooth and nail for lodgings at any home."  
"I don't understand how this has anything to do with the current conversation, Kagura-chan…"  
"Only a shallow minded earthling would not understand what I say, Shinpachi, you have much to learn to so you must climb the K*rin tower as T*o Pai Pai, G*ku, Y*m Cha, Kr*llin, T*en Shi Han, Ch*ozu and Master R*shi has…"  
"Kagura-chan, please just go in and eat dinner, I don't think you mentioned that Yajir*be was not impressed by the S*nzu beans…"

* * *

Gintoki had been hiding out near the sewers ever since the tip off he had from a gang member he ambushed and sent off to the police station(not those bastards in the Shinsengumi, of course). It was becoming lighter by the minute and Gintoki knew that a group would be sent out soon. According to his sources, the group was very closed and was difficult to track down. All members were known for hiding their faces from the women they abducted but dumped their masks when they went to the surface. The last piece of information was interesting, somehow, they made the women 'listen' to men when they were put up for sale and that they used the vast sewage network for storing their spoils.

Very interesting that they chose to target Tsukuyo. Apparently they had laid out the foundations of their trap long beforehand to snare her. Gintoki would have to wait a little longer for the first set of men to come out. Frontal assault or a sneak in and take, he wanted to keep the bloodshed to the minimum.

"Hey," Gintoki jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder "The heck are you here?"  
He turned and plastered a painful grin on his face "H-h-hey… You know, I've always wanted to join this special group in here, yeah?"  
There were five mercenaries in his view. He better come up with something quick, so he went with a "You know, I really like women… Yeah, women… There any chance of scoring up a few ladies here?"  
One particularly ugly one grunted "How'd you know about us?"  
"I-I've always been watching your groups activities, yeah… So, do you have any free spaces for me here, yeah?" Internally Gintoki was sweating. What did he just say? He had either just secured his one way ticket to death, or have his return ticket transection slow down.  
They all stared at him for a few seconds and then began to confer among them "…eh", "Maybe…k", "…ght li…", "Don't kn…", "Chance…" Finally they all stood up straighter than usual and circled Gintoki. Not good, not good, he told himself.  
One patted his back "We got a new one, should be fun."

…the heck?

Gintoki ended up following them all into the sewers. No way, there is no way that they're that stupid… Ha, if Tsukuyo got caught by these idiots, then she must be even stupider than them. He made a note to himself to remind her later. It was fairly straight forward to get through the area and then the thugs showed him the empty cells, the bathrooms and finally something that made him cringe. In front of him, in one measly cage at the back, were a group of ragged looking women, all huddled together and the flinched as they drew nearer. The men ambled towards the cages dumbly and one grabbed the hands of a courtesan. She screamed as she felt the contact. Gintoki peered into the cage and realised all of them were blindfolded. It made him feel sick to know that for perhaps the next few days, he would see women like this around the sewers. Almost like a double of Yoshiwara under Housen's reign.


	6. Chapter 6

**Streaks are best left unbroken**

The dark room was gloomy and the little light that came from a single frail candle was almost out.  
Tsukuyo was disoriented and unsure of the duration of time she had lain here for. There were no meals for her in this barren cell. They, being her captors, intended to starve her. That was what Tsukuyo had concluded. She had a vague impression of the time, depending on how often the masked men(as she had taken to calling them) came down to try and bait her closer to them. Tsukuyo had taken to residing at the back of her cell, to keep out of reach of the pimps and to gain a greater perspective of the room.

The whole area was poorly lit, and as expected of sewers, very dull and drab. It was shaped like a hexagon, two cells, one at the top(her cage) and another located lower (currently vacant). The two spaces on the left and right were passageways, but extremely narrow. But the grotesque masterpiece was displayed in the centre of the room. A plane board of metal with leather straps, perfect for restraining people and rendering them incapable of movement. A slender woman, exceptionally pretty with her flowing brown hair and long lashes. Tsukuyo avoided looking at her during any opportunity. When she had seen her first, tears had been running down her face but she had been cruelly gagged. Since then, Tsukuyo had a gnawing feeling in her stomach relating to her punishment from the men.

The bastards had tried to bait her over with their ridiculous promises to be 'kind' or 'gentle' with her. It just put Tsukuyo off more. But she did have to turn her back to them when they tempted her with food. Now hunger, worry and dread had a place in her stomach, fluttering cheerfully like butterflies. So far they had brought in four meals, she had been unconscious for a while and Tsukuyo estimated that she had been out for a day. Tsukuyo heard that disgustingly jovial talk coming from the corridor on her right, and instinctively retreated to the back left corner of the room. They sounded more cheerful than usual, perhaps they were going to assault the chained woman more harshly? They entered and her lip curled back in disapproval. The two men who had greeted her first, the blue-black and orange-white mask.

Tsukuyo sat up and pointedly stared in the opposite direction when they addressed her.  
"Why hello there, missy," Guffawed the lighter masked one happily "Having fun now, are we?"  
He laughed as though he'd said the funniest thing possible "Remember when we first met you, missy?"  
She abided by her stoney silence.  
"Give up, she's not going to say any more, are you?" The blue-black masked man stated "Now, my sweet girl, listen to what we handsome men want to say…"

That was how Tsukuyo found herself tousled out, again and thrown onto the restraints. She struggled in vain and she felt the rough fabric of a blindfold wrap around her and the dirty rag stuffed into her mouth as a gag. She would have to endure everything now and Tsukuyo wasn't sure if she was up for the challenge.

* * *

Gintoki had been working in the sewer hole for two days. There was still no trace of Tsukuyo. He would have to ask around for a 'blond women with a scar running horizontally on her forehead and vertically on her cheek". Couldn't get a better description than that. Whilst snooping around the organisation, he found that the morning he'd just woken up on(it was the third day), all the women in the fraction's property had been shipped off somewhere far away. It was nighttime outside. He shuddered at the thought of Tsukuyo in that load. But he had to check. He spotted an ugly brute bumping his way through the narrow pedestrians. He looked like the friendly sort.

"Hey, Mister, how many girls do we have left in the premises?" Gintoki winked at him.

_Get off me, I don't want you here._

'Sloth' scrunched up his eyes and peered closely at the silver haired man.

_I said, get off me, now_

After intense pain at getting his mind to work, 'Sloth' merely grunted "Some in the room centre."

_Stop touching me, I hate it._

"OH I SEE, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE THERE IN THE ROOM CENTRE, MISTER?"

_I don't know you, I can't see you but I hate you._

"Some one girl, she must be having fun."

_Stop it, I won't let you break me._

"Tell me, is she blond with purple eyes, bad tempered and usually angry?"

_No, please, stop._

'Sloth' sniggered at Gintoki's question "Very pretty girl but kicked the boss right in the worst point."

_I'm begging you._

"Oh, it must have hurt, but where is this centre room?" Gintoki felt unease creep seep in like cold water onto a leaky ship "I-I want to see her."

_I'm fighting a losing battle, please._

"Have a ball, it's straight ahead." 'Sloth' gave him a parting wave of his hand, which knocked against the plaster of a nearby wall. Gintoki nodded in his thanks and raced ahead. He didn't know how long Tsukuyo had been in it for, but he'd overslept this morning and neglected her. He could only begin to hope she was still intact in her physique, but maybe not her mind. Gintoki was almost there, just a little further to Tsukuyo and his rescue would commence. No bloodshed or tears.

* * *

She hated every minute of it. They forced her to yelp when they caught her, unsuspecting and she was beginning to tire. Tsukuyo hated the humiliation, they had come so close to removing her final items of clothing. She was burning with the shame of it all and was slowing being driven to insanity. What they did to her was brutal, teasing her in intimate places, crushing her with their superior weight and size and worst of all, she had been muzzled. Tsukuyo had no way of time keeping and could only guess how much time they dedicated on her. She tried to blink back burning tears(unseen by her tormentors as she was blindfolded) but they only slid down her face faster. They laughed at her when she let out strange noises she couldn't hold back and tried to make her do it again. If Tsukuyo rested or stopped resisting for a while, they would take advantage of it and become fiercer on her. The cycle would repeat itself more than several times in the next twelve hours.

The anxiety was building up in Gintoki's system. He'd tried to push optimistic thoughts into his head, but he knew what a serious situation Tsukuyo was in. If he was too slow, Tsukuyo might not be okay. Too quick, he would run into countless enemies. But Gintoki would rather get himself hurt than Tsukuyo. She had not volunteered to come here, but he, out of his own free will, wanted to help her. Gintoki decided it would be best to slip in, unnoticed, then pretend to be interested in the woman there. Then he would shout out, auctioning himself for daring to have a go on her. If Gintoki's idea was accepted, he would sneak out and make a break for it. Easy.

As Gintoki neared the entrance of the gaping hole, he heard a shrill scream. Already jittery with nerves, Gintoki abandoned step one, slip in carefully and pretend you were there all along. The first thing he saw when he arrived, was limp and slightly Tsukuyo strapped down harshly on an uncomfortable looking surface. He totally snapped. Steps three to seven went out of the window and Gintoki brandished his bokuto. Only step two was important, become interested in the woman. Or something on the lines of that. He either didn't remember or didn't care. Gintoki charged the fifty or so men in the chamber, with that crazed expression on his face. The Shiroyasha was unleashed.

Tsukuyo trembled under the touch of many hands. When all of a sudden, they left. She was still tense, anything could happen now. There were cries and yells all around but all was incoherent to her. In Tsukuyo's exhausted mental state, she made a futile attempt to distinguish the noises and tone in the mess. It failed miserably. Something brushed against her right leg and she shuddered unappreciatively. Abuse had come onto every inch of her and she was almost finished.

Meanwhile, Gintoki was trashing the the lot. Driven by rage, he conveniently forgot about keeping violence to the minimum. Tsukuyo was being euphemistic, as she did not know the extent of damage seen from another's perspective. She had been heavily bruised on her limbs and there were cuts, tooth and nail marks all over her skin. Tsukuyo's hair was disheveled and matted with dirt, under clothes dirty and in poor condition with her fishnets torn and unusable on the floor around her. At least Jiraia had the sense to keep her in good shape when he had taken her. Many of the offending were slumped on the floor, rendered helpless from Gintoki's merciless blows. The intent was clear in his gaze, the once dull crimson smoke flared to life as an inferno.

He kept on slashing and hacking away, stabbing repeatedly. A killing machine. White hot anger radiated from his bloodstained yukata. A ruthless murderer. Precise movements, flowing and agile, full of untold power. A demon at its peak. It was over in a heartbeat. None stood in his path. Within minutes, blood pooled around bodies, stacked on each other, feet dangling like fish in a market. Gintoki was breathing heavily. Wordlessly, he stooped and hacked at the bonds holding Tsukuyo. He did his best to avoid looking at her naked body. He removed the gag first, tossing it somewhere to his left and worked on the straps at her feet. She was deathly still, but Gintoki could still feel a pulse as he sawed at her wrist. He was still smoldering inside. Hissing and spitting profanities at the losers(though he did not say them aloud in fear of Tsukuyo hearing them), Gintoki's eyes wandered around the hexagon, taking in the details of the vacant cells, bloodstains and disembodied limbs littered everywhere. Finally the last loop came loose and he reached out to carry her.

At the first contact, she let out a blood-curdling scream and her foot flew into Gintoki's face. He stumbled backwards and Tsukuyo fell from the restraints. Now she was desperate get away, after chains, starvation and dehydration had been thrown at her. Gintoki had forgotten to remove her blindfold. As a result of this, Tsukuyo staggered around with no control on her bearings and tripped many times in the process. Gintoki's first thought was: Shoot, if she keeps on doing this I'll see her ****** or something. Then came: Oh, shoot, she'll hurt herself. He touched her arm lightly to support her, but she shouted again, made her way to the back and groped wildly for the door handle. Gintoki bit his lip and adopted a coaxing tone to capture her attention and calm her.

"Tsukuyo, I'm here to help you, don't move from there now."  
She did not respond and pushed at the wall in vain, as though it would fall apart.  
"Hey, I'll get you out of here, Hinowa's worried about you…"  
Tsukuyo either ignored him or couldn't hear him in panic.  
He swallowed in frustration "Tsukuyo, stay there for Gin-san…" He did not want to alarm or surprise her in the current mindset she was in.

She was thumping at the door. Gintoki used the noise to his advantage and gathered her up in his arms. Tsukuyo cried out and flexed her fingers hopelessly in his grip. Gotcha. He then carefully removed his yukata and covered her up. No point running out of here looking like a perverted kidnapper. Gintoki moved his mouth closer to her ear.

"Oi, Tsukuyo, I'm Gintoki, you know I won't hurt you, right?"  
She twisted her head away from him, trying to rid of the closeness. Gintoki sighed. This was going nowhere. But he couldn't bring himself to make a crude joke at the moment.  
"Tsukki, " This time using her nickname "Just calm down."  
He could feel her quivering.  
"Look, Tsukuyo, I'm going to bring you out of here, so look at me."  
Gintoki undid her blindfold and tilted her head carefully as to allow her to see him. She blinked several times, eyes wide, before drifting her violet irises to him. They adjusted to the instantaneous burst of light and she lowered her eyelids in relief. He caught a flash of recognition in them and her hold on him loosened a notch. Her mouth moved but her words were inaudible. Gintoki reversed their last postures, this time his ear by her mouth.  
"Gin… toki… thank… you…" And she relaxed on his broad chest(at this point, Gintoki doubled over from the rapid increase of weight, do people really weigh that much more when they fall asleep?).  
"Whatever." He surveyed the room "It's getting late so I'll bring you over to the Yorozuya's place for a bit."


	7. Chapter 7

**Of dark, medium and light tones, with tints and shades for colour**

Thin shafts of luminescence blurred past an equally luminous man as he raced through a thin corridor holding an unconscious woman.

Gintoki alternated between short bursts of speed and a jogging pace through the many passageways to the exit. He wanted to hurry, as the woman in his arms breathing became more shallow as he ran. She was sweating due to the poor ventilation the sewers offered, but Gintoki knew once they made it outside, the night would chill them. He grumbled to himself. The days so hot, whilst the nights cold. He wasn't looking forward to going back to the exterminators at Otose's place.

At that precise moment, Gintoki lost footing and almost tripped. Tsukuyo groaned as his hands dug into her bruised ribs. He muttered an apology and looked at the floor from then on. The next few minutes passed in with no verbal communication. All that could be heard was the sound of Gintoki's labored breathing and his footsteps. Maybe the old bat would soften up if he begged her to take care of Tsukuyo. He wouldn't want to be caught bang-on bringing the blond up the stairs with her lying on him. Nope, best to explain and ask them to take her in.

Gintoki felt the blast of cool autumn air and he cursed himself for his stupidity and kindness. He was cold and the beginnings of rain echoes around him. But better him than Tsukuyo. She had nothing to wear except his yukata and her boots(he'd found them the cell she had presumably occupied). Luckily for them, his motorcycle was still there.

"Tsukuyo, you need to sit behind me." He instructed "I can't carry and drive you at the same time, can I?"  
She didn't reply. He'd forgotten she'd fallen asleep. Gintoki sighed for the umpteenth time that evening. His back ached and he wasn't keen on doing this. Oh well. He supported her by making her lean on his chest while she stood on her feet. Then he carefully turned so she faced his back and gripped her thighs to piggyback her. Tsukuyo winced and he tried his best to ignore it. Gintoki waddled awkwardly to his vehicle and sat themselves down. He started the engine, secured her hands underneath his arms and shot off into the rainy, humid distance.

* * *

Yoshiwara, or more specifically, the Hyakka, were in a state of despair. Their leader had been gone for so long and they had not found a single, reliable lead. On top of that, the number of courtesans turning up with severe injuries put aside the precious little time they had to search.

"Shinpachi, do you think Tsukki's wet?"  
He adjusted his soul and stared at the fat droplets pelting from the grey skies "Kagura-chan, it's getting late."  
"Hey, don't ignore my question, stupid glasses." Kagura added her own blend of rain of the already soaked paths of Yoshiwara.

The streets were mostly empty, even though it was nighttime in the sex district. Shinpachi supposed they weren't as active in the rain, much like the remaining Yorozuya standing next to Seita and Hinowa. He couldn't help but wonder if Tsukuyo was even awake right now, to keep himself from thinking that the serious woman was in a worse state.

"Don't worry, both of you," Came the soothing voice of Hinowa "I'm sure Tsukki will be alright."  
Seita jumped in "Big sis Tsukuyo might even come back by herself, she's really strong anyways."  
"Ah, Seita-kun, that's the way to approach it." Shinpachi nodded his approval "Kagura-chan, think positively, okay?"  
Kagura spat again "Shinpachi, what right do you have to say in this?"  
"Kagura-chan, I don't understand."  
"You're the one who avoided the question, so say thank you to the kind people who covered up for your inability to answer."  
"Stop it, Kagura-chan, you're making me look bad in front of Hinowa-san and Seita-kun."  
"Oh, Shinpachi, now you realise how Gin-chan and I feel when you do this to us."  
"Kagur…"  
"Both of you, arguing won't do any good, will it now?" Hinowa intervened before the predictable would be predicted.  
The two members looked sheepish.  
"Sorry, Hinowa-san… it's just that Gin-san refused to help her at all…"  
"Gin-chan usually turns up when we doubt him the most, but he hasn't yet…"  
"Which means Gin-san… Gin-san was probably…"  
"Gin-chan really did mean it when he said he didn't want to have anything to do with Tsukki."  
Kagura pouted "And Tsukki really did try her hardest to bring him back home after that."  
"Kagura-chan, Gin-san said sorry after that."  
"What if he didn't mean it, Shinpachi?"  
The quiet swept through once more after that last question.

* * *

The rain was getting heavier and Gintoki wasn't at Otose's place yet. It had soaked Tsukuyo through to the skin no matter how fast Gintoki tried to get home. She needed food, warmth and medication as far as he could tell. Come on… he could see the bar now through the relentless rain. There. Gintoki sprinted towards the shelter and hammered on the door. It was pretty late.

He heard a "SHUT UP!" and a slipper was thrown his way. Gintoki dodged it with ease, something that he was often not bothered to do. Otose herself came out and to glare at him, until she saw a sodden Tsukuyo curled up against him. He let himself in and she did not object. The door snapped shut with a sharp 'Cla-tack'. Catherine and Tama had come out to see the cause of the commotion, to find Gintoki laying Tsukuyo out on one of many seats available at the store.

Otose lit her cigarette and let out a puff.  
"Who did you play with this time?"  
Gintoki replied in a dead voice.  
"Just help her out first."  
"Already am."  
Gintoki looked over his shoulder to find Tama carrying Tsukuyo to the back of the shop.  
"She needs somewhere to stay for tonight."  
He looked meaningfully at Otose.  
"Don't look at me like that, you haven't paid your rent for the past forty two months, as Tama would have told you."  
"Hey, I'm not going to be caught dead with some slut in my nice, clean house."  
"I never said anything about putting her to rest at my flat, kindly rented out to group freelancers."  
An uncomfortable pause reigned once more, delicate breaths were with only wisps of smoke escaping the butt of Otose's cigarette.  
"Then look after her for a bit and I'll bring her in for the night."  
"I'm expecting the rent within the next week or two."  
"Weeks of hell."  
"Just go up and get changed, you like like you've run through a hurricane."  
"Oi, hag." Otose made to leave but Gintoki called her back "Are Kagura and Shinpachi back?"  
The only reply he got was the sound of her sandals clattering against the smooth floor.

* * *

The syndicate boss lay gasping on a smooth floor very similar to that of Otose's bar. But it was slick with blood of his once faithful allies. Most were defeated only a few inches away from his grasp, but the effort it took to just brush against the cold skin was that of lifting a large wooden plank. He ground his teeth in a valiant trial to steady his swaying vision. He could only sweat drop as he remembered that glare he'd received only minutes before from a mysterious white haired man. The way the dimming glow of a candle reflected off his wavy hair made his hair sheen silver. Tints of red shone on his pale skin, spoils of war.

The man, no, the monster's teeth were bared and he snarled when few attempted to strike him down. Fast as lightning, _he_ would dodge and the attacker would fall, fatal wounds inflicted on wherever _he_ could reach. The leader had watched, when the beast abandoned his bokuto and picked up a katana from a fallen foe. That very katana had slit the chief's belly and the red torrent intensified with every action. Too late, he thought to himself. To make this much money and to lose it all from one man. Because he himself had become greedy for another concubine. Because he had wanted her, Tsukuyo, to become his property. Maybe it was a lesson learnt, but he had run out of thought. The man slowly knelt down, head bowed and collapsed, causing the large space to echo the noise.

* * *

The first thing Gintoki did when he reached his front door was muse loudly to no-one on particular, commenting on how he was alonee and might as well go to the public baths and find an inn for the night, being very vague on the location for both. As he closed the door, he heard a flurry of movement on the roof. One Sarutobi Ayame down, searching for her beloved Gin-san's supposed refuge, with none to go. The last thing he wanted was her disrupting him and questioning him with things like "Tsukki? What does she think she's doing here?" or "ARGHHHHHHH, GIN-SAN'S BROUGHT TSUKKI HOME, HINOWA NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS!" and e.t.c.

Gintoki, grumbling, laid out his futon for Tsukuyo downstairs. Why he used his own futon was because Kagura's was sweaty and gross. Why not use the spares? Because Sadaharu had taken over them leaving white fur, slobber and smell was left in his wake. Gintoki would have to sleep on the couch. Now he'd set it all up, Otose told him to cook something that Tsukuyo could eat. What would he know about her eating preferences? She probably had some high class taste, lobster, sashimi, crabs and the like. There was a possibility that she would even turn her nose up at his cheap cooking and refuse to eat a single bite. Picky. He'd just make her soup or something. She can't complain, but he'd run out of miso. Gintoki would have to use the thing he'd been saving. The cream.

The smoke from his cooking could be seen trailing around outside, but the smell of it was incredible. Gintoki remembered when he and Takasugi had shared out the duties during the Joui wars. That guy could make some good omelets. Not that he, Zura or Sakamoto ever told him that after they'd seen oil splash onto the very eye he'd lost. When they went around asking 'who was a better cook' Gintoki received a hundred per cent of the votes. Maybe that was why Takasugi was so bitter to him these days. Because Gin-san's sweet cakes were better than his salty omelets back then. Hopefully they had improved, though Gintoki rarely had enough time these days, due to his(forgotten) diabetes mentioned by the author and never come across again.

He snorted. Whenever Shouyou sensei let him go over to Zura's place while he was still alive, they would watch Dragon B*ll and ignore Takasugi watching from the window until sensei saw him out there and brought him in. Gintoki would be allowed to stay longer because Shouyou needed to know what happened to Kr*llin after the twenty second T*nka'ichi Budōkai. When the preview had finished, he would take Takasugi back home and buy Gintoki something to eat. The doorbell rang and without waiting for his consent, somebody walked in.

It was Tama, carrying Tsukuyo as though she were just a paperweight. She was dressed in her usual work uniform, but the other woman was given something that Gintoki found attractive(though he would never admit that in front of her). It was something of Otose's youthful days that he recognised in brief flashbacks during the animated series. The orange kimono bordered with deeper coloured petals ranging from a faint yellow to a pale pink. She was even using that scarlet obi. The clothes was a little small for Tsukuyo, so it was tight around the chest and the worn fabric made it somewhat translucent, much to his secret delight. But at the same time, it also occurred to Gintoki that if anybody found out what he was thinking his title of 'Pervert' would be reinforced and his chances of starting a relationship would fall to zero.

"Gintoki-sama, Otose-sama says that if anything happens to her by morning, she'll kick you out to the streets."  
"OKAY, I GET THE IDEA, DON'T STAY TOO NEAR HER, I GET IT!"  
"Gintoki-sama, the probability of her coming out the same as she went in total to around forty two point one per cent."  
"What is with this forty two number? Is it a new trend?"  
"Have a good night, Gintoki-sama."  
"Hey, don't just ignore me. I'm the protagonist."

The door flipped again and once again, without his consent, somebody exited. Wait. Where did Tama put Tsukuyo? He found her lying with her head on the front step. I'll check when Gengai can re-oil Tama's head, thought Gintoki as he hoisted her up onto his back. He could feel something squishy pressing up against his neck, but he tried to ignore it. The odd duo made their way through the flat and Gintoki dumped her(rolled her) onto the futon and pulled the covers up. While she slept, he would eat. Tsukuyo didn't need that much attention and care… right?


	8. Chapter 8

**The Moon of gold with the light of silver  
**

For some reason, everything was in darkness and Tsukuyo felt safe for the first time in what felt like years.

It was warm and she was nestled in a very soft futon. Her eyes didn't want to open to escape this blissful moment, in case it was a dream. Though her body still ached, her pains seemed to be relieved by just simply lying in this paradise. There was a definite texture of silk on her body and she assumed someone had clothed her. Some rational part in her mind whispered to her. What if it's just another trap to make you relax? That prompt was enough to force her eyelids to lift themselves. She was in a room quite like her own in dimensions, but differed in decor. Tsukuyo liked to keep her place organised and easy to navigate in, but whoever lived in here had random piles of something stacked up in the corner and a shelf or two here and there. She forced herself to get up, resolve weakened by the coax of the thick blankets, but she reasoned that being unguarded right now meant she could escape easily.

Just as she raised herself, she heard the sounds of and felt the vibrations of footsteps nearing her. Not wanting to be caught in a tricky situation at this stage, Tsukuyo hastily dropped back under the covers and pretended to be sleeping. She bit her lip to prevent a wince as she hit a bruised area. The entrance slid open the thump indicated that somebody had closed it, as to not wake her. The shuffles grew louder as the person(she wasn't sure) walked closer and she was sure they were settling themselves down next to her, though not quite inside her futon, by her side. Tsukuyo almost flinched at the caressing touch of the hands as they gently swept the hair from her face and adjusted the covers, but she gripped the sides of the futon to vent her displeasure.

However, something must have shown on her face because those calloused, strong hands moved back to her and stroked her hair with light touches. Something about those movements were familiar and she felt her head being transported to what she supposed was the man's(probably, judging from the racket he made and the strength in them) lap. Tsukuyo, without realising, allowed herself to revel in the sensation before catching herself to prevent turning her head. Unfortunately for her, whoever it was noticed her again and lay a finger on her cheek. Or more specifically, her scar.

Then she felt his heat radiating off him as he leaned closer to her ear and whispered "Are you awake, Tsukuyo?"

The voice was low and extremely familiar. She shifted her head and unintentionally opened her eyes at the soothing tongue of the man. For the second time during very close intervals, she saw the handsome young face of Sakata Gintoki. Though the room was dark, the features were not obscured like last time. She could clearly identify those dead fish-eyes of his and there was a glimmer that she had not seen before. Maybe because she had never been close enough to see him. Tsukuyo realised that the usual gap they had between the two had totally shattered and he was only a few hair breadths away from her face. Her heartbeat accelerating, she made to get off, until she felt his hands latch onto her wrists under the covers and hold them firmly. She went pink(Gintoki didn't see this because he turned the lights off to let her rest).

"Hey, " He dipped his head down to address her by her ear "What are you doing?"  
The closeness of the two had become too much for her, spurred on by embarrassment(and imagination), Tsukuyo blurted the first thing that came to her "Back off."  
Ah, the politeness of it all to her savior. Yet all Gintoki did was chuckle to himself "Right, I'll back off for a bit." He carefully slipped the pillow in its original position and headed for the living room "I hope you like cream soup."

The door thumped shut again, leaving Tsukuyo flustered and baffled by her reactions to his obvious gesture of genuine concern and his last statement. Now she thought about it, she was hungry and had never had cream soup before. The Kashira of the Hyakka barely had enough time as it was to go to Kabukichou and the likes to sample the cuisine they offered. Maybe it was foreign, she speculated. The few periods she in which she did have the luxury to go to dining outside of Yoshiwara(particularly when she acted as one of many wives along with other women and MADAO), Tsukuyo found she liked black coffee and sorbets(especially raspberry, Tsukuyo didn't like sweets to much extent but this was an exception for she enjoyed the ice-cold feeling it brought along as she ate). Spaghetti was a little messy but she found the herbs in it quite diverse and nice.

Gintoki hadn't done anything to her and Tsukuyo's outburst made her feel a little guilty. She sunk deeper into the clutches of the futon and considered removing the fluffed pillow from her head. She raised her arm, brought the pillow down to her breast and hugged it. Burying her face in it, Tsukuyo wondered if she could just disappear. She felt weak and useless in front of Gintoki. In a way, that emotion was hated, but she felt a yearning for his attention too. Sometimes she would relate to Sarutobi, but dismissed the thoughts of her crawling over Gintoki like an ant on a sweet. Yet that idea still was extremely appealing when Tsukuyo felt lonely, during times she remembered his hold on her after freeing her from Jiraia. Gintoki entered the room once more, carrying a tray of something steaming hot.

He set it down by her side and shoved the spoon at her "Oi, you can eat it, right?"  
Tsukuyo looked at the thick, white concoction and then at Gintoki "The heck would I not be able to eat it?"  
She uncrossed her arms and started heaving herself up until Tsukuyo saw him watching her with a pitying expression on his face.  
"What?" Said Tsukuyo, more aggressively than she intended to.  
He stretched out his arm, placed it on her waist to steady her "Doesn't it hurt to move?"  
"I can get up by myself, you don't need to help me." She snapped.  
Gintoki let his hand fall back, complying to her wishes "If you want help, just say so, I know you'll need it."  
Tsukuyo glared daggers at him and gestured for him to continue. A smile was adorning his face.  
"Do you feel good enough to eat some of the stuff I made you?"

She nodded without meeting his gaze. Hands trembling, she moved the tray to her lap and picked up the spoon. Gintoki pursed his lips as the spoon shook continually in her hand. Unable to watch like this for much longer, he slid himself behind her, forced Tsukuyo to rest on top of him and squeezed her hand. Gintoki ladled up some soup and held it to her lips.

"I'm okay, she says, I'm fine, don't worry about me." He said in an inoffensive mocking tone laced with worry "You can't even pick up a spoon, it's just the two of us here so you don't need to worry about anybody seeing this."  
Mortified, Tsukuyo began "You can pu…" He pushed the utensil into her mouth and she swallowed.  
"Drink." Was the last instruction that was given in the coming minutes.

Tsukuyo, resigned to listening to him, allowed him to feed her in silence and the bowl was emptied.

"There." He took removed the tray from her lap and gathered everything up "Feel better?"  
She nodded again, this time making eye contact "Thanks."  
Gintoki rolled his eyes, grunted something that sounded like 'finally', got up and left her, leaving the door open.

She took this as a sign that she should go to sleep. Tsukuyo replaced the pillow in its original position and curled up into a ball. Gintoki's eyes paused on a lump under the covers and silently turned off the light outside. He did not have a blanket or a futon that night, so made do with the sofa and his yukata. He for a brief few moments, he'd considered sharing the futon with Tsukuyo but his fear of being beaten up(certain that she could do that) kept him far away. The sofa was hard and smelled of sweat, farts and Sadaharu. Anything nasty. Biting back a retort to no-one in particular but himself, he eventually fell into a deep slumber.

Tsukuyo clenched her fists so hard during the night there would be nail marks when she awoke. She was having nightmares, of the past few days and long before that. Her breathing heavy, she scrunched her eyes together and twisted, mouthing words for mercy. Tsukuyo felt scared, she didn't know what was happening. Everything was(though it sounded strange now she described it) a shadow of itself and there were figures lined up around her. She could not distinguish the gender or comprehend the language they spoke in. They all tittered and… she could remember after that. All Tsukuyo knew was that she woke up screaming, with Gintoki frantically trying to quiet her. The wet trails along her nose and on her cheeks proved that she had been crying. He ran his fingers through her hair when she was finally aroused and cuddled her under the futon.

Tsukuyo heard herself say "I can't trust anything or anyone any more, Gintoki, help me." The tears flew more freely on her melancholic face "I can't think, I can't relax anymore."  
He met her terrified eyes and mumbled "Why do you think this is happening?"  
"I-I'm scared, I don't want to be alone anymore, Gintoki."  
Gintoki leaned in and spoke to her ear, lips brushing against her "If you can tell me what happened in the sewers, I know you'll feel better, Tsukuyo."  
She felt like a little girl being hushed by her father "Gintoki, I can't."  
"Tsukuyo, I promise I won't tell anybody what you'll say tonight."  
She began to sob "Gintoki, please, don't…"

He breathed encouragement to her, letting the story flow, letting her stop when it became too much and letting her cry her heart out to him. Tsukuyo tried to finish her story but couldn't get the last few words out.

"Just one last part, Tsukuyo…" Pacifying her with his utterance "One last sentence and you are, no, we are done."  
He brushed her sorrows away with his fingers and brought her head closer to his.  
"Let me tell you and you alone, Gintoki."  
The last words were meant for him alone. He accepted her tale with no comments, other than tender nudging and prods which she treasured.  
"I'll stay by your side until you fall asleep." When she'd finished.  
The tone of his voice told her there would be no objections.

Not that Tsukuyo had any. She was too shaken to care what others thought now and snuggled up against him, hands on his back, head to chest. Gintoki might've said something then, but she didn't hear. Tsukuyo was content at her current position and wouldn't mind him staying the whole night with her. He had done this for her, done this to sympathise with her and in a way, to save her. Her evening closed on her, with the skim and pressure of chapped lips on her supple lips.

Gintoki monitored the rise and fall of Tsukuyo's chest, testament to her tiredness. She was beautiful, lying peacefully on the futon, blond hair piled neatly on top of a pillow dulled in comparison to her pearly white skin. Her velvety lips were still parted from contact earlier from his own. Gintoki couldn't help but feel inferior to her, she was too perfect for him. Her 'scar' was to remove all traces of prettiness from Tsukuyo, but he thought it only added to her character, her strength. She was not perturbed by anymore nightmares, that was for sure. Gintoki lay his silver hair on her golden head and wondered for the first time, was moonlight silver or golden?

* * *

He crept away the next morning. He hadn't meant to share the futon with her, but she needn't know. The rain had stopped by daybreak, but the grey clouds still hung low over Edo. He couldn't even see the Terminal. Better wake Tsukuyo up before it starts to pour again… Or avoid seeing her for now and make breakfast. Gintoki opened the refrigerator to find two eggs. That was probably Kagura's fault. Then again, two eggs were better than no eggs. He'd make hot spring egg, as they took a long time to cook and he wasn't keen on getting beaten up because Tsukuyo had woken up on the wrong side of the bed(or in this case futon).

She recalled something wrapping its(perhaps) arms around her and the delicious warmth spread all over. Recalled something soft under her fingers, silky like fur but also very fluffy. Tsukuyo hummed indistinctly. The vacant space next to her was lukewarm. Gintoki must've guarded her the whole time and left recently. She found her sores were not as disruptive and could move around without wincing too much. Tsukuyo made it to her feet and opened the door to find another hand straying somewhere further than it should have. She kicked Gintoki where it hurt and proceeded to stamp on the bastard's stupid, annoying permed hair(when moments before she had fond memories of it).

Breakfast went with a cold side dish of glares from both parties and the occasional passing comment spoken inaudibly for the opposing. Gintoki left the table last and as soon as he gathered up the cutlery and was out of view, washed as slowly as he possibly could. Twenty minutes and through to the next bowl when Tsukuyo walked in and finished the rest. The tension died down as time passed during the clean up and Gintoki had Tsukuyo in a compromising position on the motorcycle after she made a fuss of thanking Otose, Tama and Catherine(there was fuss getting on the motorcycle because Tsukuyo didn't want to put her arms around Gintoki until he reasoned that he could just carry her to Yoshiwara forcefully).

* * *

Gintoki came to Yoshiwara, expecting to be treated like a hero but instead was talked to like a speck of dust.  
"Tsukki, are you alright?"  
"I'm fine, Kagura."  
"Tsukuyo, did Gin-san treat you well for the past few nights?"  
"I didn't spend nights with him, Hinowa."  
"Big sis Tsukuyo, was Gin-san gentle?"  
"Seita, that is absolutely none of your business and I didn't spend nights with him."  
"Tsukuyo-san, are you sure you're alright?"  
"YES, stop asking the same questions, I'm just tired and I'm going to sleep for a bit, so don't disturb me."

Tsukuyo went to her long forgotten unoccupied room where she was to remain for the rest of the day.

Kagura and Shinpachi finally turned on to Gintoki.  
"Gin-chan, where was Tsukki?"  
"Gin-san, how did you find Tsukuyo-san?"  
"OH, GIN-SAN, GIN-CHAN, HOW DO YOU KNOW THE COLOUR OF THE SKY IS BLUE TODAY?"  
"…Gin-chan, the sky is grey with clouds."  
"Gin-san, are you saying that you don't know where you found her?"  
"ARGH, JUST SHUDDUP."  
"Gin-chan's embaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrassed, because he's been doing lewd things with Tsukki."  
"KAGURA-CHAN, D-DON'T SAY THESE THINGS IN PUBLIC!"  
"Oh, Gin-san's been doing things with big sis Tsukuyo?"  
"Seita, don't worry, Tsukki seems to be just fine, Thank you Gin-san."  
"Oh, no problem… LIKE HECK THERE ISN'T!"  
"Kagura, Shinpachi, Seita, I need to have a private talk with Gin-san here about Tsukki."  
"I TOLD YOU I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"  
"Gin-san, because you stuck your rod into big sis Tsukuyo, we expect two million yen from you."  
"Gin-chan, don't even think about leaving until you pay the price for Tsukki!"  
"This is totally unbelievable, Gin-san, how could you take advantage of Tsukuyo-san like that?"  
The three minors shook their heads in disbelief of his supposed scandalous behaviour and trooped off to 'Adult toys', Seita's toy shop.

Hinowa and Gintoki were left alone inside the shelter of Hino-ya. She poured out some tea for Gintoki from a nearby tray and offered it to him. He accepted and took a long drought from the murky liquid. Hinowa waited until he finished the cup and offered him more. Gintoki knew he had no right to turn away from Hinowa if she suspected something going on between Tsukuyo and him.

"Gin-san, did something horrible happen to Tsukuyo while she was missing?" Hinowa inclined her head to the direction she had left in.  
Gintoki stared at his empty cup as though there were something indefinitely more interesting than her talking. After a long pause, he simply replied "I don't think Tsukuyo wants me to talk about it, so please ask her yourself."  
"Gin-san, I want to hear it from you." Hinowa insisted  
He looked at his boots and at the rain speckling the brown dirt black "She'll tell you, you're the only person she's willing to open up to."  
Hinowa smiled, but it was a bitter one "Tsukuyo's getting lonely in Yoshiwara all the time." When Gintoki didn't reply, she plough on "Ever since you'd stopped visiting a few months back."  
Gintoki remained in his withdrawal.  
"I don't blame you for anything that's happened to her, Gintoki, but do you think she would be happier telling me?"  
Gintoki wasted no time replying, he was certain and he needed to keep his promise with her "Yes."


	9. Chapter 9

**Letting go is sometimes the best thing a parent can do to help a child grow**

Tsukuyo continued along her way to the designated spot, the sakura tree on which Suzuran and Maizou once pledged their love upon one another.

She had made her choice, the choice to be with Gintoki. He was taking the same risks at stake and precautions on hand as her, just so they could meet once every so often. Today was one of those rare ones when they could spend the whole of together. What Tsukuyo did not know was that she was being followed by her own vigilance group. The Hyakka had known the meetings had been going on for the past month, happening on alternating days or on the weekends. They had tried to ask straight forward where Kashira had been going despite having their suspicions, but Tsukuyo was stubborn and told them she was investigating some drug scam in the nearby area.

The Hyakka didn't have a grudge or a problem with Sakata Gintoki, in fact, they were grateful for him from releasing Yoshiwara from strife multiple times. But almost all the Hyakka had either known Tsukuyo from a young age, when she trained with Jiraia or when she had scarred their faces to protect them within the force. They were just concerned that she might be rushing her relationships with that man. He would have to make her happy, make her smile before any of the courtesans would be willing to part with their trusted leader.

However, none were worried so much as Hinowa. She had always encouraged and supported Tsukuyo's love for Gintoki from afar and up close to the duo, but she hadn't expected them to be so… beloved to one another at this early stage. Hinowa had neither anticipated Gintoki's sudden growth of attraction for Tsukuyo nor his frequent visits made to Yoshiwara, only disclosed to Tsukuyo herself. It appeared as though they decided on meeting times at the end of their 'dates' and then left for home. Hinowa was counting on the equally curious Hyakka to provide her with information on the twosome's whereabouts and happenings.

* * *

Far away, in Kabukichou, three inquisitive Yorozuya members were tracking down their boss for the sixteenth time. So far, Gintoki had taken complicated twists and turns, but during the past week, he seemed to have relaxed and become less wary of his surroundings. Thus, Kagura, Shinpachi and Sadaharu became more skilled at keeping behind their target and hiding on the lessening occasions when he glanced over his shoulder. Gintoki had been setting out earlier and earlier, claiming to have gone for a 'little walk' when he had not returned for the whole weekend, at times. The three watchers realised they were heading in a familiar route.

For the first time, they had not lost view of Gintoki within the first one hundred and fifty metres. This was the path to Yoshiwara. He was heading there, but why? He had already gone there to retrieve Otose's old kimono from Tsukuyo a few weeks back. Kagura was almost certain she knew what was Gintoki was going there for and why, but she was equally as sure that Shinpachi would have no idea on the lovers. Kagura was curious how Gin-chan and Tsukki would turn out though, so she might as well tag along and watch the fun.

Shinpachi, on the other had thought that Gin-san was sneaking off to drink or play with courtesans. In reality, Shinpachi had a lower opinion of Gintoki than Kagura, but kept quiet about his thoughts. He wanted to keep her opinion high of that useless perm head and would run a commentary for the benefit of Kagura, whom was most serious about Gintoki's well being and his feeding of her. Shinpachi only had a problem with his constant love of alcohol and gambling. Though he only acted like a fool, he was kind and put the two Yorozuya member's safety in front of his own.

Sadaharu, was a god dog, but he was just a concerned and eager to trace Gintoki's wayward steps. The man fed him(unwillingly) but did not allow harm to come to his pet. He was also somewhat like the mascot of Gintama, tying with the Justaway and Elizabeth. Or Captain Okita's eye mask. Or Hijikata's mayonnaise. Or another thing or two or couple million. Sadaharu would watch the boss with(basically) owner, Kagura and Shinpachi for the rest of his day.

The trio scuttled across the dirt track and peered out suspiciously at the silver haired samurai. Gintoki, only reached out to pick his nose, stopped halfway through the action and sat down in front of a familiar looking pole.

* * *

Tsukuyo was sure she was later than usual. It had taken a while to lay false trail for the Hyakka to follow and she was convinced they knew she was either seeing him or was doing something illicit. She had lured them to Housen's grave before speeding off to meet Gintoki. She was wasting precious time that could be spent with him. She had probably disappointed him by turning up late. Tsukuyo could't think of anything she wanted to see less in all her life, Gintoki disappointed at her for not being committed enough to him. She'd apologise to him as soon as she made it there and perhaps offer to make it up some how. Treat him for a drink or some delicacies in Yoshiwara?

Almost there, just a few more alleyways and they could spend the day on the surface. There was no more guilt felt from her, she just wanted to listen to her emotions and what he told her. Tsukuyo knew(or thought she knew) that Gintoki would not take advantage of her in anyway, hoped he would be fair to her and she was totally smitten with him. But she was also extremely possessive of the man, to the point of sidling up to him to see if he was cheating on her. She wasn't sure if he was just attracted by her body and appearance and not her personality. Tsukuyo heaved a sigh and peeked around the fence to find Gintoki sitting with his back to her on the ground.

Creeping up to him, she placed her hand on his ears to prevent him from facing her. Tsukuyo felt him jolt up at the contact before composing himself and allowing her to support his head on her chest.  
"Oi, since when were you perfectly okay with me touching those lumps of yours, eh?"  
Tsukuyo rotated his head to rest his chin on her, then she patted his head and said teasingly "Do you want me to take these lumps of mine away from you then, Gintoki?"  
He furrowed his eyebrows in mock concentration "I would like you to keep these lumps of yours with me, Tsukki." He had recently taken to calling her by her pet name given by Kagura.  
Tsukuyo blushed lightly, he made her lose her cool so easily "Gintoki, where do you want to go today?"  
"Oh, the lady's late and yet she still wants to see where this poor, young and handsome boy wants to take her." He smirked.  
She didn't care for his harsh words, he was just playing with her "A playboy, you mean?"  
"No, shut up or I'm not giving you a present I bought for you." He stuck his hand into a small plastic bag if Tsukuyo hadn't noticed before and brought out a box.  
She was speechless, Gintoki had actually decided to plan ahead for her.  
"All yours, I thought I would be late, so I prepared something for you, try it."  
Tsukuyo took the box from him, delighted, smiled and opened it. A chocolate cake.  
"Gintoki, did you make this yourself?"  
"Mmhmm." For some reason, Gintoki was not meeting her eyes anymore.  
Concerned, Tsukuyo dipped her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms under his "Hey, what's wrong?"  
"It's nothing, Tsukki, let's go somewhere to eat up the surface." He eased her hands off him.

Hesitantly, he extended his hand to grip hers. She took advantage of that and crouched to see his face. Gintoki was blushing. Her heart went a flutter and she led him off into the shade towards the surface(Tsukuyo had found many paths she kept to herself and she decided to sneak out of Yoshiwara via those routes). But as secret lovers do, they had forgotten to scout the area before making out from excitement of seeing each other again. Where Tsukuyo had been painstakingly laying out dead ends and spinning lies for the Hyakka, she had come her only to be caught by another set of spies: The Yorozuya.

* * *

Shinpachi was rigid with shock. Gin-san and Tsukuyo-san were together. They were, boyfriend and girlfriend. That wasn't right. Gintoki himself insisted fifty times a day that Ketsuno Ana was the only woman for him. Gintoki himself had said that he wasn't going to Yoshiwara anymore after Tsukuyo had almost killed herself saving him… right? What kinds of events had taken place, for a smoking hot woman like Tsukuyo-san to be besotted with that drunk, broke man like Gin-san?

Kagura had no problem seeing the two get acquainted with each other, they were just doing what those afternoon soaps Anego had lent her were doing. She didn't mind the idea of having another woman in the house, in case Tsukki and Gin-chan decided to get married. But he had to be nice to the her, because if he wasn't, she would make sure that the he went flying across the horizons for making his(hopefully) wife cry. Kagura had a vague idea if Tsukuyo got upset with Gintoki, she would take full responsibility for beating him up with her knuckles and her kunai. She peeked at Shinpachi next to her, feeling satisfied as soon as she identified the revelation of total disbelief on his face as he observed them. Sadaharu wagged his tail and panted.

When Gin-san grabbed Tsukuyo-san's wrist, Shinpachi thought that he was going to die. This guy was a pro, he thought to himself. He managed to get onto the good side of Tsukuyo-san before she could even get her defenses up, she'd better watch out. Shinpachi gestured for Kagura to follow him. They waited until they were just out of sight before resuming their momentarily paused investigation into Gintoki and now, Tsukuyo's affairs. Sadaharu had just started forwards when keen blades fixed themselves around the necks of the trio.

* * *

Gintoki strolled casually through the narrow trail. Tsukuyo had not let go of his hand once. The partners wanted to spend more time in each others company, but neither were able to muster up the courage to say so. Neither heard the sound of quiet footsteps on metres away from them.

The Hyakka had been undeterred by their Kashira's clever tactics and had split off into ten groups of four. Together with the Yorozuya, they were determined to see the outcome of their date. Two uncomfortable Hyakka members went back on the pretense of alerting the other courtesans on the whereabouts of the remaining members, but the truth was that they felt it was criminal to interrupt the private conversations between the samurai and Kashira. They had fled and been gone for ten minutes.

The walkway sloped up and was steep downwards, tight on the left and wet on the right. The walk would have to go one for more than it was worth, but if their leader did this on alternating days, they were determined to protect her till the end. These two particular members were basically Tsukuyo's guardians from ages before, once serving under Jiraia and Housen and making sure she got enough to eat, slept well enough and was warm. They tried to make life as best as they could for her.

Shinpachi had been so scared when he felt the pointed kunai at his head, so he froze and monitored Kagura's indifferent behaviour with some sort of strangled look. She pulled out her favourite sukonbu treat and munched on a stick or two before offering some to the attackers. They politely declined. Pulling them back, they explained their mission and the sneaky look Tsukuyo had on her face since coming back(she doesn't seem to show anymore interest in doing her patrols lately). Shinpachi, now relaxing, explained Gintoki's sudden disappearances throughout the night, how Kagura had told him about them and what they had been doing. Adding two(excluding Sadaharu) and two made everything child's play. They were probing into the same topic, so they might as well join their heads in collaboration.

They had been hiking(or what felt like it) for so long that even Kagura, who was from the strongest race in the universe, was beginning to feel exhaustion. A piercing ray bathed the space literally steps in front of them and they receded stealthily behind a boulder to catch a glimpse of Tsukuyo leading Gintoki out into the welcoming sunlight. The five members conferred shortly after they had gone ahead and decided to follow them for the rest of the day.

* * *

Gintoki and Tsukuyo were settled in the Battle Royale Café and had already ordered food and beverages. This was the first time he could remember sitting here without making a passing perverse comment to or about the waitress or waitresses here. His newly self acclaimed girlfriend wasn't to know that. It was a little awkward, just being seated with nothing to stare at but each other on the opposite side of the table. The rare times when the lavender or scarlet irises met, they immediately swiveled up, down, left or right. Anywhere to get away from that penetrating stare that hinted they should say something.

He decided to break the ice between them "Um, Tsukuyo?"  
"Yes?" She replied even before he'd finished his sentence. After blurting that out, she appeared nonplussed and was pink in the face.  
Maybe it would be best to ignore that "D-do I mean, is it really okay if I ordered for you?"  
"It's alright, Gintoki, I don't eat out very often so I'm not sure what to order." Tsukuyo exhaled smoke from her kiseru.

If he had to name one aspect of Tsukuyo he didn't currently like was her smoking addiction. He'd heard her being compared to that mayonnaise addict because of that and couldn't live with the thought that she was being placed on the same level as those false DVD covers which had come out to mislead audiences. Apparently a new volume of Gintama AV(in both ways) had come out, featuring the infamous Takasugi Shinsuke x Katsura Kotarou or Katsura Kotarou x Takasugi Shinsuke on one side with Sakata Gintoki x Hijikata Toshirou or Hijikata Toshirou x Sakata Gintoki on the other. He'd considered sending a complaint in about totally irrelevant covers until he realised what a killing they made at the world market. Win-win situation for both sides, pairing fans and the animators.

"Psst, Pattsuan, what's Gin-chan saying to Tsukki?" Said a stranger in an inconspicuous whisper. She was dressed in a dark hat with reflective shades over her eyes. Everything else she wore was black and long, making the snatches of white skin visible underneath the disguise even paler in contrast.  
"Kagura-chan, I think we should just keep it down and eavesdrop for a while longer." Came the inevitable reply of 'Pattsuan'. He was robed in a very similar fashion to the inconspicuous girl next to him, speaking from behind a menu.  
One of two taller and older women hushed them "We must listen to Kashira."

The table across Gintoki and Tsukuyo's was occupied by a party of four. Pets were not permitted inside the premises, so the owner made do with sending the gigantic white dog home. They looked quite forbidding and the waiters and waitresses passing by were glad to not take their order anytime soon. Perhaps they were bodyguards? Or strange amanto? Or was long, dark clothing in fashion, from the most recent fashion magazine? They would never find out.

"Tsukki, can you do something for me?"  
She glanced away from the window pane at the sound of her name "It really depends on what it is, Gintoki."  
He scratched his chin absentmindedly. Tsukuyo noticed he scratched some part of his face when he was nervous or thinking deeply about something.  
"Can you quit smoking?"  
That was the last thing she had expected and she… wasn't sure she wanted to listen to his suggestion "Gintoki, why did you just ask me that?"  
"I mean, if, like, in the future or something." He hadn't specified what 'something' was.  
She guessed soon enough and felt heart warmed "Gintoki, are you really worried about my health?"  
"Um, yeah… I mean, of course, we're serious about this meeting each other thing, right Tsukki?" That wasn't quite what he had planned in mind, but good enough. She was so pure.

"Peh, Gin-chan's saying things to Tsukki." The upstart younger member spoke very loudly.  
'Pattsuan' slammed his hands on the table "We need to hear what Gin-san's going to say to Tsukuyo-san, Kagura-chan!"

Tsukuyo grimaced "Gintoki, I might be tempted to break your promise…"

"Be quiet!" The first older woman who had spoken was almost in tears now. "We need to hear it through to the end!"

"I can help you keep that promise by visiting you everyday and in public where people know us."  
"Are you really willing to break so many others hearts along the way?"

"We're so sorry!" 'Pattsuan' forced Kagura-chan's head down onto the table as an apology. "We want to hear it through too!"

"That stalker will be fine, if you mean her."  
"I'm also talking about Otae, don't you care about her too?"  
"She's not as important as you are, to me."  
"What about that weather girl?"

"Kashira, don't back down now!" The other woman who had not spoken yet called out to them, there was a recording device pointed at the couple. The woman who had spoken first was occupied with the tedious task blowing her nose on a handkerchief.

"Tsukki, " He took hold of her right hand across the table "Ketsuno Ana was just somebody to keep other woman off me, in case they became attracted."  
"You mean that you didn't want to fall in love?"  
Gintoki squeezed her hands "That's why I want to ask you something else this time, so I can help you with your smoking addiction and replace it with something else."

Tsukuyo placed her pipe on the table and gripped his hands holding onto hers like a life line "And what might that be?"  
"Marry me."

* * *

_End_

_The first note for a Fan fiction appears here:  
Thank you to:  
Kurasuchi  
Redguy221  
Silent Reader 6100  
random person  
hossein-movie  
DanTE1203  
_


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